Tubing protector



April 23., I1940.

TUBING PROTECTOR Filed May 20, 1938 7770/7755 2. Cou/van @M ffm@ Fiamma` Apr. 23, 1940l uNlTEo STATES PATENT TUBING PROTECTOR Thomas R; Cowan, `lltodessa, Ila; l

Application May 20, 1938, `Serial No. 208,988

My invention` relates to couplings and more particularly to 1a `couplingvfor use in connection with oil well tubing orthe'like. f `Due tov the variation lin the strata encoun- 5 ter-ed in drilling: oil and gas wells and'such, it

practically impossible vto maintain a well;y

which is lrelatively perpendicular. Generally the drilled-'holes have irregularities in the form of curves and contours, which cause .f the tubing thatY operates Within the casingto engage the walls of the vcasing at various points, with the result that the friction `there between E brought about by .the `repeated stretching of the tubing has'a tendency to wear holesin the casing and tubing Sometimes ythe old style couplings are worn in two and "whole strings ofv casing arev An object of my invention lis to provide a coupling for uses in connection with oil well tubing, or the like, which will serveas a connection between lengths of tubing land as a means of spacing a string of tubing from the side of the well casing, or the like, to prevent the tubing from ever coming in contact with the casing.

Another object of my inventionA isto provide a. coupling for use in connection with oil' well tubing or the like which will greatly lessen the wear on the casing during periods of the pumping" operation. l,

Another object of my invention is to provide a safety device for use in connection with oil well tubing or the like designed to check the fall of tubing or the like when dropped in a well.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from an inspection of the drawing and the reading of the accompanying description.

Figure 1 is a verticalview' in part cross section vof an oil well showing lengths of tubing connected by myiimproved coupling.

Figure 2 is al broken plan view of my improved Il coupling are assembled and,

fromlthe-leftoi FigurerZ.

`rings 2 which it separates.

Figure 3 is an end viewof my coupling viewed l In the drawing referring particularly In Figures 2 vand 3 showing Ymor I in 4detail 'the provided in their outer surfaces to, allow for the passage of .oil or thelike fluid. Thevspacer rings ,-2 are designed to turnwheny not clamped 'so that slots` f3 ofthe respective spacer rings 2 vmaylbe aligned if desired.A However, in practice, better results have been obtained by staggering the ,slots of one spacer ring 2 with the other and it is this arrangement that 4is disclosed for purposes of illustration.

In the working yout of vmy invention-I found` v@that by `making Vmy spacer rings 2 with slanting sides 4, as: shown by Figure 3` wherein the cross sections of the spacer rings 2 show as trapezoids, it was possible to clamp the same to the body of the coupling I. I accomplished this clamping by placing a slant side 4 of one spacer ring 2 under a peripheral slanting` flange 5 adapted to receive and flt it. Next against the other slantffr:

to Figure 1', Yc designates r-a `section of conventional Awell casing, T designates oil well tubing or the jlikeyland numeral I. designates, generally, my .v spacing, protecting coupling.v

feature of`my coupling I, numeral 2 designates f lspacerringsf 'Ihe spacer rings `2 have slots' 3 ing side 4 of the same spacer ring 2, I placed what I call clamping ring 6, having also a slanting side to lit over the slantv sides 4 of the spacer The rlast element of the clamping means is the clamping collar 'l which is also providedvwith a slanting surface designed tol fit on the last slanting side 4 of the to the other spacing ringv2 because the clamping v ring 6 is loose on the body of they coupling I. If

more than two spacer rings are wanted, additional clamping rings 6 will be needed.

Attention is here called to the fact that even though the rings should become cracked through into a numbery of small pieces, each piece would be still firmly held against the body of the coupling I because of the wedging action of the flange 5, clamping ring 6 and clamping collar l on the slant sides 4 of the spacer rings 2.

To further guard. against the evils of cracking of the spacer rings 2, I make them out ofl a cornposition of Dupreeme reinforced with cotton the size of the casing c they are to go into. l` In. practice, it has been found that the allowance of a cleanance space o'f three sixteenths -of an inch between the spacer ring 2 and the casing c has given very good results. However, some conditions will warrant a variationfrom the above J outlines practice and I have contemplated such changes in my concept of this invention.

My improved coupling' I with spacer rings 2 installed in practice ts so close to the sides of the casing c that during its travel up and down in the casing c it acts like a piston. 'Io permit theA free passage of oil past my piston like coupling, I provide the slots 3 in the outer surface of the spacer` rings 22. By staggering the slots 3 I compel the fluid that passes my improved coupling I tol travel in a circuitous passage, :that

is throughone set of slots then a part of the circumference around the coupling I and then again through theother set of slots 3.

vInthinking of the use of my improved coupling, it must be borne in mind'that the lower portion of the tubing in pumping operation is always submerged in the oil.

In understanding the third purpose of my invention, the provision of a safety device the fact must be kept in mind that a large part of the length of the tubing Tis submerged in oil and that the lower endof the tubing T may be valone will result in the saving of many thousands of dollars being lost in the oil industry may be resorted to Without and hold the IngS to several hundred or more feet above the bottom of the well, and it must be remembered that such a string of tubing may weigh several tons.

Formerly, under these conditions, when a string v of tubing accidentally dropped in a Well gravityy pulled it down to the bottom at a rapid rate ofv speed, resulting, generally, in the tubing becoming hopelessly jammed and the casing c crumpled and ruined.v Such an accident as above described can not happen when my pistonflike couplings I are used, because they hold the casing back and only let it down as fast as the oil `can pass a number of the piston like couplings I on the tubing T. The safety feature of my `invention because of accidental drop-pingof tubing.

It is to be'unde'rstood that various changes in the shape and size of my improved coupling departing from the scope of this invention.

Havingthus described'my invention,y I claim:

In a device ofthe class described, a coupling adapted to join oil Well tubing or th`e"like provided with a peripheral slanting ange extending outwardly from its outer surfacea spacing ringprovided with a peripheral slanting surface adapted to t under the said flange, a separating ring looselymounted on the saidcoupling designed to contact the aforesaid'spacing ringfae second spacing ring loosely mounted on saidy coupling adapted to contact the yaforesaid spacing ring, said `second spacing ring being provided with an 'inwardly slanting peripheral d y surface and a clamping collar mounted on said@ coupling provided with a slanting peripheral surface adapted to ft over the saidslanting surface of the second spacing ring, said clamping'collar lbeing adapted to urge rone ring toward another the body of the coupling. 40

` THOMAS R. 'COWANIr 

